Attempt to break "vicious cycle" of humanitarian crises in Djibouti

A two-year plan to break what's been called a "vicious cycle" of humanitarian crises in Djibouti has been launched by the UN.

The Horn of Africa country has suffered from persistent and recurring droughts which have resulted in a general lack of water for both people and livestock.

Nomad communities in Djibouti have lost some of their livestock because of drought, which is essential to their survival and way of life. Credit: WFP/Jacques Higgi

The humanitarian Strategic Response Plan is expected to meet the needs of 250,000 people in Djibouti.

The affected population is suffering from malnutrition, food insecurity, acute diarrhoea and other diseases.

Robert Watkins, is the UN Resident Coordinator in Djibouti.

“All the five regions of the country are affected. As I said we very much wanted to draw attention to the plight of the country. The humanitarian appeal has many development-oriented aspects in it, trying to address some of the root causes so that the population will be better equipped to deal with the effects of the drought.”

The response plan should limit the impact of the drought by building resilience and helping people to break out of the recurrent cycle of crises.

It will also improve human and animal health and strengthen access to food and basic services.